Through Side Streets and Alleys
by fadedglass
Summary: AU. Their worlds were different, but their desires collided. Temptation only lives just across the hall.
1. Chapter 1

It was the closest they had got to a summers day all month.

As she packed up her belongings, he spent the afternoon in a bar. He played a little with his guitar, catching the eye of the pretty brunette sat in the second row.

He brought her a few drinks, flirted and by seven, she was rolling around in his cheap linens, sighing and moaning to the thrust of his body.

Emma surveyed her childhood room for the last time, sighing at the vast emptiness of it all. The room she had grown up in, the place where she had studied for her finals and let Ryan Frio touch her breast in the eleventh grade.

Across town, Will showered himself, washing the stale stench of cheap perfume that lingered on his skin. His life was on the same monotonous cycle as it had been for three years. Twenty-four, and still waking up to nameless faces, pouring his heart into song writing and getting nowhere, discovering that life wasn't the dream he had believed in since high school.

At the time, Emma had been plucking up the courage to move out of the place she had lived her entire twenty-three years of existence in. Her friend Sally had a boyfriend at the time that was looking for a roommate and Emma's face had lit up. As Emma took the chance to unfold another chapter in her life, Sally now had the task of finding a guy that wanted more than a three week fling.

Emma had never met Will, but his repertoire with Sally had given her enough reason to be cautious. Her parents weren't easily convinced either. Sally's mother and father belonged to the Red Oaks society as well, a society dedicated to conserve those of natural red hair. Apparently, Will's genetic makeup didn't help matters, and nor did his wandering eye when it came to women Sally's father had told her parents one night.

Rusty had told her he didn't want his little girl living with a man like that, while her mum drowned her sorrows in a bottle of red, crying about how her daughter was abandoning her roots, and her family.

But Emma was strong willed, decisive in all areas of her life.

Will wandered into the kitchen, rummaging round in the fridge to find anything half edible to eat. Settling on nothing more than a cold beer he flicked on the television for a few minutes before the door went.

Still in his towel he went over to answer, not expecting visitors at ten in the evening.

When he answered, he could help but stare. She was unmistakably pretty, not usually the type of woman he'd normally go for, and not the type of woman he had in his bed right now. But striking, there was a sense of undiscovered mystery about her he couldn't help but feel magnetised to.

She was a bit taken back by his appearance, and lack of attire. Clearly he hadn't been expecting her, or had he? She had left a voicemail on his machine, maybe he had got it and this was some sort of game for her to fall into. She was suspicious of him already.

"Hi, I'm Emma". She offered her hand to him, and he stared straight at her, flashing his signature smile.

"Will, your new roomie." He laughed, and she felt a blush creep up on her unexpectedly. She removed her hand from his hold almost immediately, attempting to compose herself.

"I left a message, saying I'd be here tonight" she said shyly, and he turned round, staring at the flashing machine. _He hadn't got the message._

"Sorry, would you like a hand with your bags?"

She found him genuine, unlike her opinion three minutes ago. He was soothing, dangerously so and the way he spoke, so politely and elegantly made her insides tighten. She wondered if he felt something to, something that went beyond a casual greeting.

"My cars out back."

He nodded, grabbing his flat keys and a quick change of clothes before accompanying her out.

"So what do you like to do Emma?"

His tone was suggestive, and although she wouldn't admit it, she liked the way he looked at her. So lustful and sexual. As they walked out back his hand brushed past her hip and she began to think that maybe it wasn't just her that felt it too.


	2. Chapter 2

The night played out differently than Emma had hoped, but if anything, it held up a mirror to what Will was like.

Emma liked to be organised. She liked the security of tidy surroundings, in knowing that her most treasured possessions were where she had left them. She looked around; empty beer bottles stacked up into the shape of a pyramid, sheets of paper just left haphazardly on sides and tables. They were different, but she managed to see past this into his soul. He looked lost, puzzled by the experience of growing up.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a brunette with unfairly long legs emerged from what Emma gathered was Will's bedroom.

She didn't bother acknowledging Emma as she strutted into the room in just a shirt and panties, nor did she didn't seem too bothered when Will stumbled upon her name to introduce the two women.

Will seemed embarrassed, his weak smile said as much. But the woman took no notice, making herself comfortable by sprawling her long legs all over Will.

The three of them barely made conversation, the brunette was preoccupied with darting her tongue in and out of Will's ear and lobe, leaving the bitter taste of disgust in Emma's mouth. She hadn't known women to be so forward when it came to _that_ sort of thing, she certainly wasn't. Her first and only boyfriend had been her best friend Ryan. He had been shy like Emma, but sweet natured and caring. Her mother had approved, on the basis that although his hair was blond, his mother and father were red, making it acceptable for him to take her daughter out. But they didn't get far. Touches seemed so sacred and forbidden at their age and so when they did connect, they found safety underneath Emma's animal printed covers.

The brunette on the other hand didn't seem to be too shy, judging by the way her hand drifted down to Will's crotch. Emma heard a faint murmur from Will's lips, and Emma stretched out her ear to try and hear.

Sarah, as Emma found out left the room, the heat and water from the shower spraying her olive tanned skin that had been assaulted by Will's lips and hands that night.

Will mouthed a sorry to Emma, his eyes drawn away from her.

"She's leaving."

"Oh", Emma was secretly relieved.

"Listen, I'm sorry about - tonight. If I had known, or you know, listened to my messages -"

"It's ok, really," Emma nodded, not really believing what she was saying. Discomfort and embarrassment stayed in the room with her and although she was attracted to him, his conduct to women made her apprehensive.

They heard the door slam hard, signalling that Sarah had departed.

"I'm not seeing her again" he revealed, although Emma wondered if the words were more of a comfort to him, rather than to her. She wondered how many women he had shared himself with, and whether she would just be another conquest to attain. With the latter thought, she began to stand.

"I should, unpack."

Will watched her from the couch. She looked naive and young as her tongue cooled her pink lips. He hadn't made the best impression, and he didn't blame her for wanting to exit. But he didn't want to end their first night like this. He appeared heartless, when it came to the women that shared his bed anyway. But he didn't want that side of him to come across to _her_. He wondered what sweet Emma would be like in bed, whether she was quiet or loud, how she liked to be touched and kissed. The thoughts turned him on, not because he was still horny, but because there was actually something about Emma that intrigued him, something that was worth getting to know about her.

"I've made you uncomfortable."

"You haven't."

"Please, can we start over?"

Emma looked at him from the door way, nervous apprehension embracing her pose. She smiled sweetly at him, causing his cheeks to blush. They looked so adolescent, fawning over one another in the shy light of the night. By the time she had taken her seat back up on the couch, the uneasiness of befores performance had slipped to the back of their minds.

Two hours had soon passed. By now the time encroached into the early hours of the next day. They started off cautiously, well Emma did, minding not to reveal too much about herself that left her feeling vulnerable. However Will was forward and charismatic, telling her all about his music and song writing. Secretly, she was impressed. He was passionate, and she loved how his eyes glistened whenever he talked about music.

Will loved how she enthused about his passions. She was so mysterious, and so warm. He felt her interest in his life to be so sincere that he wanted to know everything about her. She wouldn't open up though, continuing to unravel him and keeping herself fully bound.

So he treaded carefully, asking about her childhood, where she grew up. She answered perfectly, as if she was being interviewed. But deep down, he knew she was holding back and he wanted to know why.

They were barely more than strangers, she reminded herself, but the way he made her feel, so calm and relaxed strained her guard to keep a look out. Conversation was easy between them, as if they had known each other beyond tonight and that scared her, more than she cared to admit.

He brought it up, the conversation he'd been dying to ask and she wanted to shy away.

"You have a boyfriend?"

It was burning inside of him. He watched her, how her skin flushed at his question and the way her hands shot to her hair, brushing it past her ears. He wanted to know if anyone was loving her, whether or not he would ever get a chance to touch her. She was more of a woman than he had ever encountered, so sophisticated and smart. She was a dream, and as they had talked, he had felt a connection, a bond that had implanted into them both.

"Yes." She replied, placing her empty beer on a coaster. It was dishonest, but the truth would hurt much more, and she had been trapped in that place for so long that the sheer darkness of it all exhausted her.

He looked a little hurt, almost wounded, as if he almost cared about her. But she brushed it off, not wanting to get too attached to this man. To do so would just be careless.

"Do I need to ask about you?"

He got up and reached into the fridge for some more beers, unscrewing the lids and handing one to Emma before sitting back down, this time, next to her.

He laughed, "I guess not." But his eyes didn't match his smile. Secretly, he was devastated.

"You see a lot of women then."

She hadn't meant to sound judgemental, but Will's face told her that perhaps she had been.

"Sorry, that was inappropriate."

"It's true."

Emma blushed, taking a swig of her beer.

"So, what's your boyfriend like?" He was opening his shelter to jealously, but he was intrigued.

"He's-" the truth tickled her tongue, almost like an annoying itch scratching to be free. But the truth of it was, the truth hurt too much that she played her facade, protecting herself more than anyone from the heartache that would eventually reveal itself to Will.

"He was my best friend."

Will nodded, meeting her eyes. Beautiful browns swirled in her eyes. She didn't stop staring at him. Unknowingly, she bit her lip, pulling it between her teeth. He was jealous of her lips, purely because he desired to be between her mouth, kissing her senseless, lapping his tongue against the inside of her mouth.

Their stare lasted a little too long to be appropriate, and Emma cursed silently at her vulnerability for being attracted to such a man.

But it was Will that got up first,

"I'd best get to bed, it was nice to meet you Emma".

He held out his hand to pat her on the shoulder, but she misinterpreted his signal and touched his hand with hers instead. She was embarrassed, fumbling with excuses while he looked purely sensual, his eyes darkly clouded.

"I'm sorry I-"

It didn't matter what she said because he placed his lips ever so gently onto hers for the briefest of movements. As if he didn't care about her boyfriend or as if he saw through her web of lies.

She didn't react as he pulled away, but she missed the warmth that radiated from his lips.

"I just wanted to know what it was like, just one time, kissing you." He whispered, before walking away, calling back to her once more.

"Night Emma."

A/N Thank you for all your lovely reviews.


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